Travelling gnome prank

The travelling gnome prank is the practice of returning a garden gnome "to the wild". It involves stealing a gnome, taking it on a trip, and photographing it at famous landmarks, with the photos being returned to the owner.[1]

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The earliest record is in Australia in 1986, when the following text appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on 24 September: "An Eastern suburbs gnome-owner was distressed when she discovered her gnome had been stolen at the weekend. A note was found in its place: 'Dear mum, couldn't stand the solitude any longer. Gone off to see the world. Don't be worried, I'll be back soon. Love Bilbo xxx.'"[2] The tradition of travelling gnomes dates back earlier, with Henry Sunderland sending gnomes around Antarctica.[3]

Perhaps the most well-known instance of a travelling gnome prank happened in the spring of 2005[4] when a group of friends from Redmond, Washington,[5] took a gnome, "Gnome" Severson, on a trip to California.[6] During their time there, the gnome was photographed with Paris Hilton and a photo of the gnome was published in People Magazine.[7] The gnome was also photographed around Hollywood, San Francisco and Las Vegas.[8] Upon returning the gnome to its owner, the story turned into national news and an interview on Good Morning America. The owner of the gnome sold it for nearly $400 on eBay, but it was secretly purchased by the owner's friends, who continued to take the gnome around the world.[7]

In the film Amélie, the title character wants to shake her father out of depression and reawaken his dream of traveling the world, so she steals his garden gnome and has a flight attendant friend take pictures of it with various international landmarks.